Colonel Philippe Lanier is the main antagonist of the Bernard Cornwell novel Sharpe's Assassin. He is a French officer in 1815.
Biography[]
Colonel Lanier was the commander of the 157th Light Infantry, informally known as the Emperor's devils. He was a decorated officer known for his actions at the Battle of Marengo. He was known as "le Monstre" or "the Monster" and was secretly a member of La Fraternite, a secret society pledged to avenge Napoleon if he was ever killed or defeated. Lanier missed fighting at Waterloo because his battalion had instead been deployed against the Prussians at Wavre. Lanier's corps commander and mentor General Delaunay was killed at Waterloo, leaving Lanier as the leader of La Faternite.
Retreating to Paris, Lanier took refuge at the vineyard of Delaunay's widow, Florence. He was aware that Colonel Richard Sharpe was observing him and sent one of his men to kill him, but the attempt failed. Lanier and Florence conspired to blow up a ball that the Duke of Wellington was attending, hoping also to assassinate King Louis XVIII. Claiming to be Henri Fellion, a vintner working for Florence, Lanier delivered twelve barrels that supposedly contained wine but actually contained gunpowder. He was met by Sharpe, who allowed the wine to be stored. The two of them spoke, quickly abandoning any pretense of not knowing who the other was, and compared their careers in a friendly manner. After Lanier had gone, Sharpe had the barrels dumped in the lake.
With the area of Paris where he was based under Prussian control, Lanier hid his men from their searches in the tunnels under the vineyard. Realising what he was doing, Sharpe decided to launch an attack on the vineyard, using his battalion, the Prince of Wales' Own Volunteers, and a Prussian regiment commanded by Colonel Kippen. He planned to lead his old company through the tunnel and attack Lanier from the rear while the main force took his attention. However, Lanier anticipated this and had a cannon set up to ward off anyone getting through the tunnel. Although Sharpe made it through the defences, the main attack had stalled thanks to Lanier's experienced commands, which had seen Kippen's men trapped in a warehouse while the Prince of Wales Own Volunteers, commanded by the cowardly and incompetent Major Charles Morris, had hung back. Sharpe managed to break through Lanier's lines with his men to take charge of the main assault.
At that point, Lanier took charge and called an end to the fighting, saying there was no need for their men to die. He challenged Sharpe to a duel, saying that if he lost, his men would withdraw from Paris, but if he won, the British and Prussians would have to retreat and leave them alone. Sharpe accepted. Lanier noted it was only the second time he'd fought the English, after Maida. Sharpe's initial savage attack failed to break the skilled Lanier's defences and Lanier ended up with his sword at Sharpe's belly, inviting him to yield. Sharpe broke free and resorted to brutality, head-butting Lanier, kicking him in the groin and punching him in the face, before holding him at swordpoint and threatening to blind and cripple him unless he yielded. Lanier broke free but Sharpe broke his arm, leaving him unable to defend himself and forcing him to yield. Sharpe left Kippen in charge of making sure Lanier and his men left Paris as promised.
Sharpe later heard that Lanier was now in royal service, having been promoted to brigadier and made the commandant of a military training establishment.
